5 Great Neighborhoods in Colorado Springs

By Linda DuVal, FrontDoor.com

Find out why Colorado Springs natives love these top neighborhoods.

SOUTHWEST

The Broadmoor

Old money mixes with new money in the city’s most prestigious neighborhood. Built during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, these old mansions have been joined by pricey remodels and a few new mansions, most within walking distance of the historic, five-diamond Broadmoor hotel and resort.

Flagship Address: Broadmoor Avenue

The Neighbors: Doctors, lawyers and real estate developers. Don’t be surprised to see golf carts parked in garages. Most folks here know their neighbors and rub elbows with them at the hotel’s top restaurants and golf courses.

Also Consider: Broadmoor Bluffs

The Neighbors: Built in the 1980s, it features large homes on large lots covered with scrub oak and frequented by wildlife. It’s more affordable than old Broadmoor but draws many of the same type of residents. They also enjoy the same great school district -- Cheyenne Mountain -- and have great views of the city lights.

DOWNTOWN

Old North End

If you love history and have the money, this area north of downtown is for you. The area is a mix of large, stately homes built in the late 1800s and smaller ones built later. Don’t even think about remodeling or renovating until you run it by the vigilant homeowners’ association. Many of these homes are on the National Register.

Flagship Address: Wood Avenue

The Neighbors: Doctors, lawyers, college professors and other professionals as well as third generations of moneyed families. It’s a liberal pocket in the otherwise conservative-leaning city.

Also Consider: The Audubon neighborhood

The Neighbors: On the other side of Nevada Avenue, the houses are relatively newer (1940s and 1950s) and more modest. It’s a stucco-and-brick neighborhood of retirees and teachers, and professionals who don’t want to shuck out the bucks for a more prestigious address. Young families are starting to move in and remodel.

NORTHWEST

Rockrimmon

This neighborhood was developed in the 1970s in the foothills, which means there isn’t a straight street in the whole place and the houses look like they belong on The Brady Bunch. Odd-shaped lots sit on hillsides covered with scrub oak and it’s not unusual to see a herd of deer or bighorn sheep stopping traffic.

Flagship Address: Oak Hills Drive

The Neighbors: Expect to see your neighbors going to work in uniform. A lot of higher-ranking military officers live here because of its proximity to the U.S. Air Force Academy. Also find white-collar professionals, teachers and business owners. Some choose this area because of its inclusion in the excellent Air Academy School District.

Also Consider: Peregrine

The Neighbors: Same as in Rockrimmon but with higher incomes. Homes are larger, newer and more distinctive, and they sit on oversized and irregularly shaped lots with great city views and lots of wildlife. It’s an area for people who value privacy.

NORTHEAST

Briargate

Briargate stretches over a huge chunk of real estate and offers affordable, roomy homes. Though it once looked like a cookie-cutter neighborhood, maturing landscaping and personal touches have set the homes apart from one another. Situated on a slight hill, it has good mountain views.

Flagship Address: Windjammer Drive

The Neighbors: Families are attracted to it for its affordability and because of its inclusion in the Air Academy School District. Many families have two working parents and many also serve in the military. Though still young in some respects, there’s a strong sense of community.

Also Consider: Pine Creek

The Neighbors: This neighborhood is more upscale and personable than the adjacent Briargate. It’s where Briargate residents want to move when they have the money to do so.

WEST

West Side/Old Colorado City

One of the city’s oldest and most eclectic neighborhoods, the West Side and Old Colorado City are just minutes from downtown. The homes, still affordable for growing families on a budget, vary from stately Victorians to cute cottages and everything in between. This neighborhood even includes some new houses built on lots that have been vacant for years. The Old Colorado City section of the West Side draws lots of tourists and there lots of quaint shops.

Flagship Address: Pikes Peak Avenue

The Neighbors: Colorado Springs has its blue-collar roots in the West Side and Old Colorado City. The mine owners lived in the Old North End. The miner-workers lived on the West Side. Colorado Springs was dry, and Colorado City had saloons. Today, the neighbors are as eclectic and have as much character as the houses.

Also Consider: Pleasant Valley

The Neighbors: Once the poshest neighborhood outside of the Broadmoor and the Old North End, Pleasant Valley today is an enclave of ranch-style homes inhabited by empty-nesters who raised their families here. New families are moving in, however, and enjoy the nearby Garden of the Gods and feeling of being tucked away from it all.